Clarence Verge wrote:
> 
> Ok, here's the problem that hopefully we are going to
> solve in public:  I got mc.gz from your site (with Arachne) 
> and saved it in D:\. D: is where all my linuxii are, including
> your zipped Baslinux.
> Step #1: Unzip Baslinux by my NORMAL method - to RAMDISK F:
> Step #2: Boot. Baslinux starts, amazingly from the ramdisk to
>          another (I guess) that it creates.
> Step #3: mount /dev/hda5 -t umsdos /mnt (see ? it's scary !)

I assume /dev/hda5 is drive D: ?
Unless drive D: is being used for a UMSDOS distribution
(like MonkeyLinux), it would be better to use -t msdos

> Step #4: cd /mnt
> Step #5: dir  (Damn! <G> It's all there !!)
> Step #6: gunzip mc (your instructions) Nuts ! It left it on the HD !

gunzip decompresses a file insitu.  You will need to copy 
it (either before or after the gunzip) to the BasicLinux 
filesystem.  If you put it in the path (eg. /usr/bin), you 
will be able to execute mc from anywhere.
----------------
copy mc /usr/bin
----------------

> Step #7: Here I'm lost. I tried cp mc /usr/bin and mv mc /usr/bin 

Now I am lost.  Both of these should work.

> (separate sessions cuz reboot is required) 

Hold on!  Why was a reboot required?  What happened?
Normally CTRL-C will stop program execution or you can press 
ALT-F2 to go to a different console.  A reboot should not
be necessary.

> and I got complaint that /usr/bin/mc doesn't exist followed 
> by 8-10 lines of I/O error regarding my HD ! 

This is really weird.  If that drive is VFAT, it needs to be
mounted -t vfat.  Or leave out the -t parameter all together
and see what Linux decides.  It is possible that the -t umsdos
is causing the problem.  Otherwise, some hardware glitch or
perhaps it's the partition?  Anything funny about that partition?
When you created the partition, did you do anything unusual?
Do the partition parameters shown in Linux (fdisk -l) match
those in DOS?

In order to see if the partition is the problem, I suggest using
DOS to copy mc to drive C:.  Then in Linux mount /dev/hda1 and
see if the problem persists.

> And then it wouldn't accept shutdown
> or reboot so it got the Big Red Button.

CTRL-ALT-DEL? 
 
> Ok, I also tried moving the mc.gz to the umsdos ramdisk 

Which umsdos ramdisk is that? 

> before starting Baslinux, but then I couldn't mount my old 
> ramdisk. I didn't really expect to be able to, but I thought
> it might still be there since the boot worked from it.

Once BasicLinux boots it walks all over DOS, including the bits
that operate the ramdisk.  The only thing I am not sure of is
whether the RAM that was in the ramdisk is available to Linux.
 
> How the heck do I try mc if I can't get it onto the Linux RD ?

Indeed.  Our first step must be to sort out the copying problem.
As I suggested, try putting it on drive C:.  Or, if you do not
want to involve drive C:, use DOS to copy mc to a DOS floppy.
Then in Linux:
----------------------
mount /dev/fd0  /mnt
copy /mnt/mc  /usr/bin
umount /mnt
----------------------
This assumes the floppy is in drive a:

Please do not be discouraged by these problems.  I am determined
to sort them out.

Cheers,
Steven

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